Life's Too Short
by SuGaRnSpIcE4222
Summary: Bobby and Alex get caught in the middle of the tragedy that is their niece's life... and learn a thing or two about the meaning of life
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer Sadly, I'm not rich enough to own CI or any of its characters, and if I was, I'd probably pay someone to write these fics for me…though I do enjoy writing them. Chapter 2 will be up ASAP! Please read and review, Thanks!_

The black and green bruises on her thighs and face pointed towards a rape. The uneven shape of her short nails told a story that involved her attempting to ward off her attacker. Her torn dress and bloody undergarments were witness to the rough-housing she endured for what must have seemed like forever. The tears that stained her cheeks couldn't mask her shame and she knew it. She stood awkwardly in the center of their living room. It was 2 A.M., and why she had chosen her aunt and uncle-of all the people in her life-to run to was far beyond her. Growing up, she spent little time with them, and the time she did spend with them was on rare occasions, usually holidays. Her mother and father passed away when she was just four, and soon after the state shipped her off to New York to live with her grandparents- Mr. and Mrs. Eames. She had never understood the government's way of working. She had never particularly grown close to the Eames, not like her sister had. Her sister became familiar with their related strangers, and had even grown close to Bobby and Alex. Teresa though, she tended to keep to herself more.

And here she was, standing in their living room in the middle of the night, bloody, bruised, crying, and freshly raped. Her eyes darted all around the room, fear of being watched and mocked. She didn't like how invaded she felt, and tried helplessly to cover herself, guarding her torn garments for dear life.

Alex stared at her niece. She had no idea Teresa even know where she and Bobby settled in at night, let alone never figured that she would visit them even if she did. Teresa wasn't a very trusting person-much like Bobby-and rarely went to anyone with her problems. She looked back down at the shaky body before her. Reality was hard to grasp. How could her niece, her hard-shelled 'I'll make you cry if you even look at me the wrong way' niece, have been tortured? It killed her to know that some overly excited bastard had ripped her niece's security right from under her feet. Anger boiled and flooded her face, and her dainty hands clenched into a weapon. She wanted to kill the bastard who made her niece cry, who made her niece shake, her made her niece _ashamed_ to be alive. She stopped herself, gaining another glance at Teresa. Anger was far from what Teresa needed at the moment, and she wasn't going to make Teresa feel even more uncomfortable than she already did.

"We should get a rape kit done on you"

"I… I've already done that" Teresa's swollen lip quivered. Memories of being interrogated by the doctor, of being viewed so openly by the doctor, frightened her, made her want to lie down and die. Her pale face told her aunt and uncle that waves of nausea crept up on her. She tilted her head facing down and Bobby gentled nudged the garbage can her way, a gut feeling telling him she wouldn't be able to make it to the bathroom. Turning so as not to face her aunt and uncle, she let loose, breaking down in sobs while the vomit escaped her lips, leaving a sour taste and foul scent on her breath. She didn't notice when the blood between her slender legs completely drenched her undergarments and then dared to slide down thighs in multiple drops.

"Didn't the hospital clean you up?" Alex looked concernedly at her niece and attempted to near her.

Teresa backed herself into the way. Falteringly, she nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but her vocal chords wouldn't emit any sound.

"Why are you still bloody then?"

Her shoulders shrugged, indicating she had no clue as to why she was still blood-written.

Bobby disappeared into the bedroom he and Alex shared momentarily, and when he returned, he had a button down sports jersey; long enough to sheath Teresa's body from the world, keep her warm, and give her back what little dignity she had. Cautiously, he edged to her and placed the clothing item in the palms of her abused hands. Her green eyes stared up at him, forcing back a pool of tears. She was indeterminate of what her next move should be.

"Teresa… sweetie… let me clean you up" Alex set her palm on the small of her nieces back. She felt every shiver that cultivated down Teresa's spine. "It's okay, I won't hurt you" She eyed the bathroom, hinting at Teresa to walk there.

She looked down the great white hallway, studying it intensely with her tired ocean green eyes, and finally allowed her feet to give in to her aunt's understandable requests. Unsteadily, she circuited herself through the hall, grasping on to the wall for it's assistance to keep her holstered in an upright position. The light switched on when she walked in, meeting her aunt's quicker presence. She had made it. 'One point for me', she thought.

Alex pulled out the rubbing alcohol. She reached for the cotton swabs, grabbing 6 or 7 of the white puffballs. "It's going to sting just a bit" She felt the need to prepare her niece for what lay ahead of her. She squatted down and gently rapped on Teresa's knees, gesturing for her to spread them a bit so that she could sterilize the wounds.

She closed her eyes. She didn't know any other way of preventing her tears from spilling out onto her aunt. Forcing her head to the side, she winced as Alex ran the cool rubbing alcohol over her first and by far the largest wound she had. Alex had lied. It didn't sting "just a bit" it stung A LOT, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take of it.

"Almost done" Alex soothed as she rubbed the last wound over, thoroughly examining her work. She grabbed for the jersey type shirt and began to unbutton it, but Teresa snatched it from her.

"I umm... I can do it" She was hesitant about letting Alex see the rest of her body, and she wondered if she'd remain that way with everyone as long as she existed.

"Okay, I'm going to go call grandma and grandpa to let them know you're here. I won't say anything until you're ready to.

"T…thank you" She stammered her words, eagerly awaiting the moment when Alex would leave her alone in the bathroom. When Alex walked out, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned the lock on the bathroom handle.

10 minutes went by. 10 of the longest minutes of Alex's life. These were the 10 minutes that Teresa kept herself locked up in the bathroom while she altered her appearance, removing her current get up and replacing it with the long jersey. Alex looked at her watch. A sigh of relief escaped her as she heard the "Click" the door to the bathroom made when it reopened. Teresa emerged, sheathed in the protective covering. The top two buttons were missing from the grey with blue stripes jersey, and she clutched at the top, pulling the opening closed.

Alex's eyes were fixated on her. She watched as sweat invited itself about Teresa's body, and threatened to fall to the floor. A dribble of sweat fell from her chin, down to her barely visible chest, and for the first time in-well in ever-Alex noticed that Teresa wasn't the little girl she'd always viewed her as. Teresa was a young woman, a young woman who had been hurt in the ultimate way.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer- I don't own them, only Teresa and any made ups. The rest belong to Dick Wolf, so I don't suggest suing (you wouldn't get much anyways) _

_A/N: I decided to take this story another way, so I'll be mentioning an 8 month old son of Bobby and Alex's in this chapter, which I didn't in the previous. Sorry if it confuses anyone!... Everything else remains the same though._

Interrogation; why did they insist upon bringing their profession and skills into the haunting that was her life. She fiddled her thumb as they stared intently at her, bouncing question after question off the table. Lightly, she ran her fingers over the bumps and bruises that was her face and winced as a rush of pain clicked itself with her brain, announcing its visit.

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Bobby knew this would be a hard question to answer, even if she remembered clear as day what her attacker looked like.

She did, of course, remember what he looked like. There would be no forgetting this sorry excuse of a man. He was strong, his body weight felt deadly on hers and after trying to fight him back, scratching and clawing not having worked, she gave up, and lay limply beneath his putrid body. He had suave blonde hair. As he rocked up and down on her, grunting like a pig, the sweet scent of lavender intensified, and welcomed itself to her nose. She would never again be able to enjoy a lavender scent. And his hands; oh god those hands burned the brightest in her exhausted brain. They had seemed to overpower every trick she threw his way. They were scruffy, with uneven bit up nails. As he un-invitingly caressed her body, she had made the mental note that his hands felt like sandpaper on her luxurious, tender, Olive-colored skin. Momentarily she reached up a delicate hand and used only her fingertips to advance the lengths of her skin, particularly the area of her thigh and chest, where his hand had stroked the hardest and had the most fun.

"Teresa… we need to know" Bobby carefully used his left hand to title her chin, so as to get her to face him.

She gulped. The pace of her breathing sped up and her eyes began darting around the room again.

"All we need is a nod"

She nodded, back and forth, slowly at first, and then quicker, intensely, as if to make a point. "I remember everything about him from the way he looked, to the way he smelled of hot sweat as he drenched my body with his odors." Her voice took on an icy drone as she spoke to them. "Blond hair-straight blonde hair-and grey eyes, the kind that doesn't show emotion when you're hurting another living, breathing, human being. Hands of sandpaper… most definitely sandpaper" Her gaze spaced more now and she looked as if she had entered her own, frightening little world. "He was dead weight against me and after a while of fighting back, screaming my protests again and again, I finally just gave up. It wasn't worth it…I wasn't worth it" Tears threatened to ream down again and she quickly lowered her head, unwilling to show emotion, unwilling to let anyone see her break down again. Being weak was a bad thing and she refused to allow anyone-even her family- see her weaknesses.

For the first time in his entire career, Bobby Goren was at a loss for words. He wanted to reach out to her but knew she'd die before letting anyone, especially a guy, comfort her. "Did he umm, did he say anything to you?"

Teresa looked up, tears still threatening her eyelids. Her busted lip quivered slightly and in her angriest voice she simply said, "He asked me if I believed in God". She didn't say another word; instead she holstered herself from the cushiony brown couch and stood, facing the wall, facing away from the world.

The shrill wail of a baby sounded from the back room. With all the commotion she'd forgotten that she and Bobby had laid Jake, their 8 month old son, down to sleep over 3 hours ago. Bobby stood up and looked over at Alex. "I'll go get him, you sit, stay" She smiled, a sign of gratitude towards him as he walked into their son's nursery.

"I'll make the couch up for you" She stood up, and began pulling the cushions off the couch enabling her to yank out the couch bed. She felt a cool hand on her wrist and knew it was Teresa's

Teresa could only manage a low whisper. "Don't" She gave her a morose look and then turned away. "I'm going home. I need to be alone tonight, in my own bed. I won't get any sleep anyways, no use in keeping the both of you up"

"You're in no condition to drive" Alex warned. She knew Teresa had driven there; there was no way she could have made the walk, especially since it had been raining since the early evening.

"I'll be fine. I know what I can handle" Looking in her leather purse, she pulled out a gold keychain with 5 or 6 silver keys dangling down. With her fingertips, she teased the keychain, stroking it gently back and forth for comfort.

Alex and Bobby lay curled on the couch. Teresa had been gone for over 3 hours now, and yet they still remained awake, alert. Silence penetrated the room, both of them unsure of what to say or do about their niece. Alex wondered if she'd told Mrs. Eames yet, and then resolved that she'd more than likely had to. She let out a deep sigh and Bobby said his hand on her shoulder, stroking it with the tip of his thumb. He opened his mouth to speak but the telephone interrupted him.

"Hello?" Alex breathed warily into the phone. It was late, she was tired.

"It's mom, Alex."

"What's wrong?" From the monotone voice her mother attained Alex knew something was up, not to mention her mother never called that late unless it was an emergency.

"Teresa's very sick. We brought her into the hospital about an hour and a half ago. We need you here, Al" Her voice was urgent, pleading.

"We'll be right there" Alex slammed the phone down on the receiver. "Grab the baby, Bobby, we need to go"

"What's going on" he bolted from his lounged position and curiously looked at his wife.

"I'll explain on the way" She threw on some sweat pants, grabbed an umbrella, and picked up the baby bag.

Bobby went into the nursery and gently lifted the tiny baby boy into his arms. He wrapped a blanket around him and walked out into the living room. "I'm ready"

Alex was already on her way out of the door. Quickly, she paced herself to the SUV and pulled it up to the front so Bobby and the baby could get in without getting sick.

The drive to the hospital was quick and quiet. No one dared make a sound, although Alex had promised to fill Bobby in on what was happening on the way. The car came to a complete halt and Alex got out, accompanied by her husband and son. They quickly walked into the waiting room

Mrs. Eames was nervously pacing the quiet halls of Manhattan General. Her body spun around and she caught sight of her daughter, her husband, and their baby boy. She worked her way to them in a slow pace.

"Mom?" Alex's tone was of question, curiosity. She longed to know what was going on.

Mrs. Eames looked in her daughters hazel green eyes and for a split second she turned to face the rest of her clan. All of her children showed up with their husbands and wives and children. Their entire clan filled up the waiting room, and though she was thankful that their family was so strong that they bonded together in times of sickness and hardship, she momentarily wished they'd all go away and give her breathing room.

Everyone peered through Mrs. Eames, waiting for answers. What had been so wrong with Teresa that she'd been rushed into the ER?

Mrs. Eames opened her mouth, and found that her vocal chords would finally emit sound enough for explanations. "She got home. She wanted to go to bed, we didn't stop her. We assumed she just needed time… not a horrible assumption on our part. About 45 minutes after she went to bed, she walked out of her room. We were, of course, still awake. She complained of feeling dizzy, and nauseous. Your father got up to help her sit down but before he could make his way to her, she passed out. We got her to the hospital as soon as we could. Her fever spiked up to 102 and the doctors have been doing tests ever since. Mrs. Eames looked into the glass window that peered into Teresa's room.

Teresa laid there, wires and cords running freely about her body. There was an IV with a rather large bag of normal saline, there was a heart monitor, and there was the thermometer. There were wires and test tubes running through her that she couldn't even begin identify their purpose. Doctor's orders dictated that no one was allowed in to see her. "She needs her rest", he reasoned. "Hospital personnel only, until further notice".

"But we're her family!" Mrs. Eames argued.

"I understand that ma'am, but until my nurses and I can determine the cause of her condition the best medicine for her is simply rest. We're pumping her with a normal saline line, aspirin for the fever, and giving her clear fluids for the nausea. She'll be confined to bed rest for the next few days"

A sigh escaped Mrs. Eames' throat. There wasn't much else she could do. If she argued, she wouldn't be putting Teresa's best interests at heart. Unconsciously, she nodded to the doctor's specific orders. She stood there, unable to decipher what she should do next. Should she go home? Should she sit down in the waiting room for the next 72 hours? What good could that possibly do her, besides exhaust her? Questions and thoughts sped through her mind second by second, minute by minute. She hardly noticed when a nurse walked up to Teresa's doctor and handed him a tan paper file; it was Teresa's.

Scanning it quickly, he gathered his patient's results and looked at her family. "Your granddaughter is suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as exhaustion or stress. This could be brought on by dangerously high stress levels, her lifestyle…" He trailed.

Alex listened in with her mother, trying to grasp each new concept the doctor threw at them.

"Some symptoms in identifying this range from excessive stress and fatigue, to weight loss, low fevers, sore throat, headaches, muscle aches, sleep problems, depression, troubles remembering things, slight confusion, an inability to concentrate, troubles thinking about certain things, and low energy levels"

Mrs. Eames nodded. Everything the doctor had identified as a symptom, she noticed her granddaughter had recently begun suffering from. It got so bad that Teresa became known as "Eckerd's on wheels". Teresa had bought everything from aspirin for the mild fevers, to Excedrin migraine for her headaches. She attributed her irritability to PMS and bought Pamprin to successfully exterminate it.

"Have there been any significant stress factors in her life lately?" The doctor had to ask, it was his job, after all.

"She umm she was just raped" Mrs. Eames confided. "We don't know much more than that"

"I see. Well, I suggest you and your family head home. Sitting here and exhausting yourselves can only lead to more misfortune in your lives"

Something hit Alex and she began to speak. "My niece, I really need to speak with her"

The doctor looked oddly annoyed. He had just explicitly told everyone, her included, that Teresa was off limits for the next few days.

Alex hinted at the aggravation and spoke up again. "Not as her aunt, but as a detective. I have just a few more questions about her rape" The golden flash of her NYPD badge was all it took to gain access to her niece.

Teresa looked dangerously pale. Alex watched patiently as her chest rose and fell in her exhausted breathing patterns. She stood silent for what seemed like forever, when in reality the duration only lasted about 5 minutes, when Teresa interrupted her staring session.

She yawned, moved her head to the side and looked up at her aunt.

"How ya feelin' sweetie?" Alex leaned in and stroked Teresa's slightly curly black hair.

"Never felt better" Teresa mused sarcastically. How did her aunt think she felt?

Alex gave her niece a sympathetic look and parked herself in the cushiony seat beside the hospital bed. "I need to know, Teresa, before this man raped you, did he have prior contact with you?"

Her fingers tapped nervously on the bed pole as she contemplated what her answer would be.

"I need to know, Teresa, this is very important in keeping you safe"

Finally, she gave in. "Yes, Yes I did. He said he found my pictures on the internet, on my myspace account. It started out innocent enough. I was stupid and I gave him my phone number. From there we'd met at the mall, but he turned out to be a creep and I wanted nothing to do with him but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He kept calling and calling, and he showed up after school a few days out of the week. I asked him to stop but he got angry with me. I…I didn't know what else to do besides go with it, so I agreed to meet him for lunch last Friday."

"You agreed to MEET him!

Her aunt's fury gave Teresa a knot in the pit of her stomach, and forced her to back up some in her bed. "I'm… I'm sorry okay; I didn't know what else to do"

"What about coming to someone in the family! Your uncle and I could have helped you!"

"No one can help me!" She retorted. "No one"


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you mean 'No one can help you'?" Was her niece insane? Of course they could help her! They could protect her from him, file a report with the NYPD, and get 24 hour watch on her.

"He's a dangerous man, Aunt Alex" She was angry at even having to state that, look what he was doing to her. Had her aunt's eyes been closed this entire time?

"Yes, he is a dangerous man, and YOU agreed to meet him!" Maybe yelling wasn't the best approach with her niece at the moment, but it was all she could do to keep from breaking. The Eames family had consistently warned her about men like him, and the dangers of the internet, from childhood to her teenage years. How could she have been so irresponsible?

"Okay, Okay I get it! I'm stupid!" Tears welled quickly in her soft hazel eyes. The fact that she had brought this all upon herself choked what little life she had left in her.

Teresa always knew how to hit that soft spot. Alex sighed and took a deep breath, releasing her anger, and replacing it with a bowl full of guilt. "You're not stupid… I just don't understand why you agreed to meet him, why you gave him your number, and why, when things got too much to handle, you didn't come to us"

"It's not Christmas, Its not Easter, Its not Thanksgiving…" Sarcastically, she listed the only times of the year when she got a chance to visit with her aunt and uncle. They didn't come around to see her as much as they did the other members of the family, and in the pit of her being she felt a pang of jealousy. How her sister managed a close relationship with them baffled her.

"Come on, that's not fair" Alex fought back the tears that threatened to show she was truly affected by her niece's chosen line of fire.

A soft sigh escaped Teresa's battered body. "You're right, I'm sorry. Look… I'm really tired; I'd like to get some sleep. Can we finish this later?"

"Sure" Alex gathered her composure, lifted her purse to her shoulder, and stumbled out of the hospital room.

An eyelid sheathing a hazel green eye slowly lifted as the morning sun invited itself into her room. Teresa yawned and looked up. It took her 10 minutes before she gathered the fact that 24 hours had passed since she'd last been awake and alert. She twisted her head to the side and the red flashing numbers on the clock that rested on her beside told her it was 10:30 A.M. Looking to her other side, she noticed that while she'd been in her state of comatose, the nurses had removed the heart monitor. She sat up, resting her arms on her elbows for a bit and looked around the room-nobody. "Peace" she whispered to herself and laid her head back on the plushy pillow. Her body felt better than it had since she'd last been awake, and she could tell the energy was slowly draining back into her system. Sweat began to drench her, and when kicking the covers away didn't work, she stood, walked to the tiny window, and opened it. She stood still as the wind hit her body, cooling her off and drying up the salty fluids that poured over her.

A knock sounded and seconds later the door leading to her room flew open.

"Can I come in?" it was a polite gesture her doctor made, but she didn't see the reason of asking while he was already walking in her room.

"Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?"

"Sarcasm; that's a good sign" His smile brightened up her mood a little.

"I just can't win with you monkeys, can I?"

Doctor Holstein led her back to her bed, and sat her down. As he was wrapping a cuff around her arm to check her blood pressure, he began to speak again. "I'm not following" His smile was inviting, quizzical at best.

"Well, when I'm kind to you, you're kind back, thinking I'm too weak to be rude, and when I'm sarcastic, you're still kind, thinking it's a good thing because I'm feeling better. Can't I just be in the middle?"

"Do you not want to get better?" He peered down at her with big blue eyes.

"Of course I do, but it's always one or the other with you doctors. Haven't you ever wondered what it'd be like to just stand in the middle?"

He concluded that she was drawing from her rape experiences, and was in the middle of confusion and ache. "I like being able to decipher the truth of things. Yes or no answers, that's what keeps me going"

"Well, I suppose you're not missing much" She laid her head back down on the pillow and turned so she wasn't facing him. He was going to draw blood next and her reaction to the needle was indeterminate to the both of them.

He surprised her by sitting down on the bed next to her. "You know, I can recommend a good therapist. She has the highest qualifications and works with your type all the time"

"My 'type'?" She looked at him with blazing eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? You mean the other helpless girls that have been stalked and raped by a man double my age? No thanks, I don't think I feel much like 'sharing'"

He had done a little tap-dance on her last nerve and he could see that. He felt proud of himself; the more he got her to open up, to let it all out, the better she'd feel. "Well you can't think you're the only girl who's ever had this happen to them"

"Of course I don't you babbling idiot"

"That wasn't very nice" he never strayed from his soft tone, and it was hard for her to be angry when he was just using reverse psychology on her.

"I'm tired" She took the easy way out. "I'd like to get more rest"

"Yes, well, you probably should. You're blood pressure is still above normal, as is your pulse" He stood up, removing his behind from the side of her bed. "Would you like anything to eat, drink?"

"No thank-you" Her slightly pale face was turned away from him again.

"Well then I'll be on my way, feel free to buzz the nurses if you need anything" He walked out, shutting the heavy wood door behind him.

As if he had to tell her she could buzz the nurses. The nerve of that man, taking her for such an inept person! Sorely, she sat up and reached for the remote that controlled not only the buzzer to the nurses' station, but the TV towering above her head. "Jerk" she mumbled her words of disgust towards the doctor as she flipped through the channels. She looked to her left, and then to her right, as the ring of a phone blasted, abruptly reminding her of its presence. "Well where is the damn thing" she fumbled her way through the covers, feeling around until she felt the cold plastic material that was the receiver. Lifting it, she breathed her greeting, "Hello?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Who is this?" The voice on the other end most definitely did not belong to any member in her family, leaving only one other person that probably knew where she was.

"You didn't answer my question" He seemed to be getting agitated with her.

"How did you get this number?" Shaky-the only word to describe her voice and the way she felt-shaky.

"That's no way to treat someone who's sat up day and night, waiting, watching for you to finally wake up"

"What" her voice turned to stone as she grasped his last comment

"Yes. You know that black tank top goes really well with those sweat pants your aunt gave you."

"How do you know what I'm wearing" Looking down, she noticed that he'd hit her ensemble right on the dot.

He laughed full-heartedly. "Oh sweetie, you don't think I've let you go, do you? I can see every move you make. Every time you stand up, every time you move in bed, every time you even **BREATH**, I'll see."

Was this some kind of sick joke? She looked around but failed to spot anyone.

"Looking for me, sweetie?" He laughed again. "You won't find me; I'm more intelligent than you think"

She sucked in air. He really _could_ see her, and he wasn't messing around, he was truly after her. "What do you want from me?" She remembered her aunt saying something about a trace on a phone from a case they'd had a while back, and wondered if they'd used one on hers. She did, after all, admit to having prior contact, "stalkish" contact, to this freak before he raped her. Her eyes darted around the phone, and when she didn't see anything she got a little concerned, but nonetheless decided to keep him talking for as long as possible.

"What do I want from you?" he sounded confused, shouldn't she already know the answer to that? "I want to taste your blood. I want to taste **_all_** of it"

She slammed the phone down. She couldn't help it; the threat had been too much to swallow. Feverishly, she began jabbing the button on the remote that was stamped with a nurse's symbol.

They all stood like mutants her in hospital room, rummaging through everything, including the tray of food that had been sitting on her nightstand for two nights and a day.

"I want everything dusted for fingerprints" Alex commanded. Usually Bobby ran things, but this time, it was her show. Teresa was **_her_** dead sister's daughter and therefore belonged under her wing, not his, even though he was her uncle.

"I doubt he's been in here. He's too smart for that. He knows that if he comes within two feet of her, we'll jump him; he understands that she's under our watch. No, he just wants to torment her."

"Then what was his threat about" Alex cocked her head to the side, trying to get the same insight Bobby had.

"It was a figure of speech. He doesn't **_really_** want her blood, he wants her. He's obsessed with her, infatuated with the way she made him feel. She gave him the power he needed and he liked that. He probably loves the way she looks, the attention she gave him online. This isn't about death; he doesn't want her dead; she'd be no good to him dead. He just doesn't want her to live a life without him. I'm not saying he's in love with her, we don't know the way his mind works that well yet, but it clearly kills him to see her living a life that doesn't include him. He was probably neglected as a child, probably never had a female pay attention to him before Teresa. He likes the attention she gave him, even if it was negative, and wants more of it. He asked her if she believes in God, maybe he felt bad about raping her."

"No" Teresa stopped him before he could go on assuming anymore. "He didn't feel bad about raping me. He was proud of it. He was proud that he had the strength to make me cry, that he had the strength to make me scream. He relished in the way he could make me squirm under his body. He said he loved the way I sounded when I was screaming for him to get off, that he loved the sound of my voice, and the way my body made him feel when I tried to move from under him. He said he loved the way I smelt when my chest rose with each scream."

Alex stared incredulously at her niece. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"It didn't come off as important. It wasn't a threat; it was just something he said through the duration of the rape. I didn't think it mattered"

"Teresa, everything he said to you matters. If there's more, we need to know"

Her eyes said that there was much more, but her heart sang a different song. She was embarrassed, embarrassed to repeat all those private words to her aunt and uncle… all those damn dirty words.

"Teresa, you need to tell us"

Damn her uncle! He was too good at reading people. He could get in her head better and faster than she herself could. "He said I was the only girl who'd ever truly turned him on. He said that he wanted to prove to me how much I turned him on. I got scared and when I tried to run, he snatched my wrist." Tears streaked down her cheeks, staining them, and she continued. "I've never felt such a tight grip in my life. My wrist hurt so badly and he wouldn't let go. He dragged me into his bedroom. It smelled horribly of dirty laundry, and mold. There was a cat on the bed and he kicked it off, replacing its open spot on the bed with me." Her breathing grew more ragged as memories flashed before her eyes. "I begged him not to. I begged him to stop. I told him that we could just forget about the whole thing, and I would go on as if I'd never met him as long as he left me alone. He thought I was insane, and he laughed in my face. That laugh…it killed me, it was so harsh, so full of hate. He was gentle though, careful not to crush me when he let his weight fall on top of me. His gentleness left just as soon as it had come, when he began kissing me. He scratched my thighs-that was the first time I screamed. He enjoyed it. He said my scream was arousing, so he kept at the fondling. Every time I screamed, he sniffed and sucked at my chest. He asked me what kind of perfume I wore-said that it intrigued him, and he wanted to buy more of it for me." Her body began to shake with each new memory. She'd done so well at blocking them all out, and her aunt and uncle ruined that with one simple command for her to tell all. She didn't want to continue, it hurt too much.

"Anything else"

"He raped me, told me how good I was and how good it felt to be in me" Tears wouldn't leave her side now. "He kissed me goodbye and then that's when he asked me if I believed in God"


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I wanted to make sure everyone knows that MYSPACE isn't really a dangerous site…well that's not true, any website can be dangerous if you're talking to strangers, but myspace was used solely for the purpose of being descriptive. So Tom, if you're reading this, please don't sue me. And, again, I disclaim! BTW, sorry in advance for any mistakes. I did my best to proof read this before submitting it, but this is long, it's late, and I've still got homework to finish and a shower to take LOL. Thanks for all of the reviews, they're extremely helpful and I do appreciate ALL of them, and welcome/beg for more! _

Alex and Bobby left shortly after her confession. Well, they didn't really leave, per say, they were just standing around outside the wooden door.

Alone; just alone… she just wanted to be left **_alone_**. Why couldn't they see that? Or, maybe they could. She settled on the explanation that it was their job, their civic duty to her, to watch for any outsiders, anyone who might look guilty of committing any crimes. I.E. - The wretched, scruffy man who'd had his eye on her-and wouldn't take it off. A soft, weary sigh escaped her lips and she rested her tiny head amongst the immense pillow. It felt like heaven. Emotionally, she was no more stable than a psychosis patient. Physically, she was depleted of all energy and strength she'd ever had- a grand contrast to her usually vigorous self. Sleep overpowered her, and it wasn't long before she'd finally fallen into the abysmal depth that was her subconscious.

Alex peered into the clear glass window. Her gaze pierced every fiber of the young girls being, and never severed. The fact that her niece contributed to conflicting pain upon herself stiff left Alex staggering and speechless, waiting for an answer that would never surface.

Without letting her gaze stray from her niece, she began to talk. "We acquainted them with the facts Bobby, all their life. We must have told them over and over again about the nutcases using the internet. We warned them about the filthy old men trying to acquire the emotions of vulnerable young women." Her quavering voice couldn't conceal her distraught feelings of fear and anger. The fiery blaze in her eyes told Bobby that this wouldn't be over until the fat lady sang her way off stage, or the piece of filth hunting their niece was behind the same bars of the world's most dangerous snakes and murders… or six feet under the ground.

48 hours flew by like the strike of a bolt of lightening. Deakins forced Alex and Bobby to call it quits and take the night off, leaving him to keep watch over their niece. Hesitantly, they'd left, and only because he swore up and down that if any tormenting phone calls came their way, he'd inform them immediately.

Lying on the couch, Alex looked down at the Miniature Goren resting languorously in the crevices of her arms. A warm smile spread across her face as she thought 'this is a result of the magic him and I make. This is what comes of our love'. It wasn't until she bent down to kiss him that she noticed he felt febrile and utterly flushed for a baby of his age.

"Hey Bobby?"

"Mmm... Yeah?" He was falling into a state of lethargy, a state of which she'd just abruptly torn him from.

"Does the baby feel a little warm to you?" She inched closer to him, the baby now at arms length away from Bobby.

He outstretched his arm and hand, placing it directly on the infinitesimal forehead of the tiny baby. Jake didn't just feel warm, he felt hot, burning hot. "Yes" His reply was so sure…positive, and instinct told he and Alex that they'd better head back to the hospital, this time for the sake of their son.

Bobby gathered the diaper bag, while Alex cautiously rose from her sitting position off the couch. Not wasting any time, they hurriedly walked out, forgetting to lock their front door, inhabited their vehicle, and made the short expedition to the hospital, a place they'd been all too familiar with for the past couple of days.

_**Viral Infection: (N): "Infection by a virus that is pathogenic to humans. Can often lead to a cold or the stomach flu" There was a brief pause before she read on in the tiny packet provided by the pediatric nurse. "Symptoms include but are not limited to fever, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea. Symptoms can occur within hours or a span of a few days.**_

Alex read intently, focusing only on her son and what he'd been so easily diagnosed with. She heaved a sigh of relief, thanking god that her son didn't have something fatal, or alarmingly dangerous. Still, no doubts plagued her mind as she settled on the decision to take time off work to spend every waking moment with her son while he was in the pediatric unit of Manhattan General. This would, unfortunately, prevent her and Bobby from guarding their niece from the evils of the pond scum that threatened to attack at any given moment.

It was Bobby who went over to explain the situation to Teresa. Lightly, he rapped on her door, expecting an invitation to come in. He stood in the same position five minutes later, still waiting for a response, which had yet to come. Fearing the worst, he pounded one more time, and when he didn't receive any notion that Teresa was okay in there, or any response from her all, he kicked the door in, hard, and without warning.

"AHH SUN OF A-", she stopped herself quick enough to grab her nose, blood droplets dribbling down the sides and bridge of it.

"Are you okay!" He rushed quickly to her side. She was looking awful thin and tired, worse than when she'd first been admitted, and he'd wondered if she'd been eating right, in fact, he wondered who'd been in charge of keeping her well. Whoever it was, they were doing a lousy job and he wanted a word or two with the unqualified doctor.

"I was fine until you smashed a door into my face" She was sore… bitterly sore at him for the sudden invasion. Who did he think he was, literally AMBUSHING into her room like that? Didn't he have other rape victims to injure?

He let out a sigh and strolled towards her, lifting her chin with his pointer finger and thumb, and tilted his head for a better view of the damage. "A nurse is going to need to take a look at that" he finally decided.

"Gee. Thanks Sherlock Holmes, you sure you intelligent. What would I ever do without you?"

"Come on, I didn't do it on purpose, besides, you didn't answer me. I got worried"

"Have you never heard of going to the bathroom? Besides, what would you have done if anyone was in my room? Plan on knocking him out with my door?"

"No" he said, but that wasn't a half bad idea, he thought to himself.

"As if anyone would be coming in with that giraffe of a detective and his partner at crime bunking right outside my bedroom door" She had noticed Barek and Logan, which authenticated his assumption that she hadn't been sleeping right. Barek and Logan hadn't gone on duty until around 2 A.M., at which time he and Alex had been informed personally by Deakins. The mere fact that she was aware of their presence could only mean that she'd noticed them come in and start their shifts. He knew this because Logan informed him before he even invaded her room that he and Carolyn had yet to introduce themselves to her, under the assumption that she was peacefully sleeping.

"Jake" he began, "is sick. Your aunt and I are going to be off duty for a few days. He's been admitted here, so we'll try and make it to see you as much as possible. If you need anything, just calls us down in the pediatric unit"

"Is he going to be okay?" she had a genuine look of concern in her exasperated, ocean green eyes.

"He'll be fine; it's just a viral infection. He should be good as new in a few days"

She let out a deep breath. Relieved, she nodded. "Alright; Aunt Alex I said hi, I guess"

"I will sweetpea" He went to peck her head, a sign of affection, and a sign that he was fixed to go, but she stepped back. She wasn't ready for affection yet, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready for it again.

He understood, of course, but it still hurt. She shouldn't be fearing him, of all people. He was as harmless, couldn't hurt a fly. Nonetheless, he left well enough alone and exited the room, addressing a nurse and assigning her the job of cleaning up his niece's bloody and possibly broken nose.

_**Comfortable: (ADJ) - "Free from stress of anxiety; as ease"**_

It was the way she felt around Barek and Logan. For two days already they'd had the assignment of guarding her, keeping her out of harms way. She'd finally started attaining decent amounts of sleep, and she attributed that to the ungodly way she trusted the two detectives. Truth be told, trustworthiness wasn't a strong point for her, but somehow, she felt unworldly safe in their protection; safe, as if no one could harm her, even the man who kept 24 hour watch on her from unknown distances, and made unwelcome phone calls to her in the wee hours of the night, hoping to catch her off guard.

Not a single visit from Bobby and Alex, though she didn't mind. She'd spent time resting, and was in utter peace. She knew they were busy with their son, he was sick, after all. Not to mention, it wasn't like she didn't get random visit from her other family members, because she did. Evening visits from her grandmother, and afternoon visits from the uncle, whose name she wouldn't disclose because he brought her hamburgers to eat, instead of the road kill the hospital tried to force feed her. She got morning visits from her aunt on occasion, and everyone else just popped in and out irregularly. They truly were an odd bunch. Giving an exasperated sigh, Teresa shifted herself in an upright position, only, of course, to finish the remainder of her fries from 12:00 P.M., when her uncle dropped them off for her.

There was a light knock on her door and she figured she'd better respond, fearful that she'd end up with another broken body part. "Come in" she invited, though she wasn't in the mood for any visitors. Didn't her visitor know she was eating greasy, fried foods, though her doctor forbade it?

Logan walked in, Carolyn following close behind him. "Morning sunshine" he joked.

"Yeah, sure" Giving off a little glare, she shoved another French fry in her mouth. Had he not noticed her lack of enthusiasm when she invited him in? Was it too much to ask to be left alone to eat? She had to admit though; she did enjoy their short visits. He was cocky, arrogant, and sarcastic, and she was the only one who could intelligently retort back to his comments-and leave him speechless.

He reached for a French fry, only to get his hand slapped away. "Paws off buddy"

"Oh but I think I better taste one, just to make sure they're not poisonous, you never know what this bastard is capable of"

"Oh but you see I know the man who brought me these fries, and he brought them specifically for ME, which means PAWS OFF" she had given him his final warning. The next time he reached, she'd be forced to take further action, and he wouldn't be happy.

Carolyn detected the sense of seriousness in Teresa's vocal tone and grabbed Logan by the collar of his striped shirt. "Let's go big guy, we'll send someone to get you your own fries"

"But…but" Logan stuttered. Carolyn's height and frame no longer surprised him. He had realized long ago that she was capable of just about anything she put her mind to, and found it best to obey her, rather than get on her bad side. He followed her out the door like a puppy that just got his bone taken away. Shutting the door behind her, Carolyn smiled and parked her spot in front of the heavy wooden door.

Teresa finished the remainder of her fries, crumpled the greasy, used up napkins, and flung them to her side. Yawning a bit, she rested her head back on the pillow, getting comfortable again. Reluctantly, she shut her eyes, not really expecting to fall asleep, but doing so anyways.

A cold, soft, well-manicured, and large hand woke her up an hour later. "Hey" he whispered. His hand rested gently on her forehead, and then on her wrist.

She stirred, and slowly turned her head to see him. "Hey" her tone was just under a whisper, but it was all she could muster.

"How are you feeling" he peered down at her, towering her like he was the Eiffel tower, and she were Barbie.

Her vision began to clear; just enough so she could get a better view of who was truly above her, though the voice had pretty much already given him away.

"Tired" she replied. How did she look?

"You're looking a little better, have you been getting enough rest?"

She looked at him. Was this some kind of test? Was she passing? "Yeah, loads of it" It wasn't entirely a lie. She had been getting a lot more rest than she started out getting. Aside from the light night phone calls from the man who raped her but did not dare show himself, she'd managed to sleep a few hours a day, and some of those hours even included times when she didn't dream about her rape and shoot up in fits of sweats or convulsions.

He passed her a piece of paper, folded into fours. "This is from your aunt; she sends her love, by the way"

Skinny fingers reached out, and long, malnourished finger nails closed upon the paper. Turning to the side, she placed the letter on the night stand. "Thanks. I'll read it later, I promise."

"Okay, that's fine" He reached over and stroked a stray away from her silky cheeks.

She smiled some, and, preparing to give an excuse, laid her head upon pillow once again, forcing a yawn.

"Tired?"

"Very much" She forced another yawn. 'Yep' she thought 'this is believable'.

"Well, I'll get going then." He stood to walk out, and noticed that Logan and Barek must have gone down for food. "They're-"

"I'm sure they'll be right back, besides, the doctors keep a good eye on me. Go ahead; if I need anything, I'll call."

"Are you sure?" He was hesitant about leaving her alone.

"GO" she coached. He nodded in gratitude, and continued his journey back to Alex and their son.

"I've finally got you alone" The foul scent of his breath filled the cool air.

She reached for the 'Call Nurse' button, but he smacked it away. "Not this time" he meant business. He had her cornered. She looked, side to side, back and forth, and saw no one. Weren't Logan and Barek due back by now?

"There's no one here to save you this time" he hissed at her, angry, but full of desire and lust.

"They'll be back" It was a safe fact to admit, as she turned her head slightly, only to catch a glimpse of the ever large figure of Logan.

**_Superman (N): "A man with more than human powers"_**

Jackass; he stormed in like a damn jackass, no plan, no thoughts, all arrogance and strength, ready to pounce, ready to fight, ready to save. A shot fired from her rapist's end and Logan dropped hard against the tile floor.

Teresa froze, he was getting violent now. "At least tell me your name" she was using reverse psychology on him, and prayed that it would work.

"I suppose I can tell you, after all, we'll be getting to know each other real well" The way he said it frightened her, and she scrambled around the room, looking for any form of a weapon she should attack him with. A glare off the wall, just to the side of Logan, nearly blinded her and she turned to see what was standing in the way of her and safety.

_**Gun (N) - "A weapon consisting of a metal tube from which a projectile is fire at high velocity into a relatively flat trajectory"**_

Fumbling nervously with the gun on his belt, she tried to jerk it free. She looked and sighed some when she noticed Logan was still breathing, a good sign, though the loss of blood would no doubt kill him if he didn't get medical attention.

"Andrew" the dark eyed, putrid man said, standing opposite her, watching her every move. "My name is Andrew"

"Why" her voice was shaky, and though she tried to hide her fear, it was no use. "Why are you doing this! Just leave me alone!" Her voice had just qualified itself as a shout, alerting the nurses. Immediately one ran to get Bobby and Alex.

With much force, and more struggle, Teresa managed to break Logan's gun free.

"Because" he said, "I want you. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life, no matter what it costs" He cocked the gun so it was level with her tiny frame.

There was no way to explain her reaction, but to say she was frightened was an understatement of the matter. Defensively, she lifted Logan's gun, facing it at Andrew. Steadying her hand the best she could, she acted as though she feared nothing, especially him.

"One more-", he began, only to be interrupted by Teresa.

"Move and I'll shot" Her voice was unstable at best, but nonetheless stern. She meant business.

"Good, then we'll go together. Together for eternity" Mental Case; it was the most charming way she could describe this sorry excuse of a man.

"Then so be it" Bearing a strong resemblance to her Aunt, she stood her ground refusing to let some unfit for life man torment her any longer.

He cocked the gun, released the lock and shot.

Alex and Bobby walked in, but it was too late, she had done the same, the force of her bullet trampling the man to the ground. It took a few seconds, but the force of his bullet knocked her down as well, landing her in the middle of the hospital bed, her deep red blood staining the soft white of the sheets and pillows. Alex fixated her sight on her niece, mesmerizing the way she looked, the way she sounded, remembering her sweet voice, remembering how much she loved her, freezing her in time, and then realizing the seriousness of the situation.

It was a marathon, and she just _had_ to win. She bolted across the room, despite his strong grip on her wrists, and landed near her niece. Observing the wound, she noticed the bullet enter in the body through the stomach. Blood was draining rapidly, but the sixteen year old was still conscious.

Alex gripped her hand, sweat forming between their palms. "Hang in there, we're getting you help, just please, please, hang in there" Tears welled in her hazel of her eyes as she begged her niece to survive.

Teresa nodded, her body beginning to numb. Alex felt like it was her fault, and she knew it. She could see the guilt mixed in with her Aunt's tears and she wiped them away, her Aunt's face a mere two inches from her own. "It's not your fault" she whispered.

"I should have been here" Alex would not be swayed.

"Your son needed you, and I had Logan and Barek" Managing to carry a conversation with Alex amazed her. Her body was growing weak and her breathing shallow, inhaling and exhaling now a triumph.

"I still…" Alex couldn't finish her sentence. There weren't words to describe the way she felt. Continually, she prayed in her head for the safety of her niece, and swore up and down at the doctors who had yet to show up.

"How's Logan?" Overcoming the pain, she managed to continue carrying the whispered conversation she and her Aunt were sharing. It wasn't long now and she knew it.

"Your uncles with him, he'll be fine. Let's worry about you now"

"Alright" Her eyes fixated on her Aunt's. She took another low, deep breath then whispered. "I love you"

"I love you too sweetie" She was proud, Teresa seemed to be pulling through, and she slowly began to calm down.

"Let go of my hand" Command; it was more of a command than a question, and one Alex hesitantly followed. She looked at her niece quizzically, and released her grip, the sweat that formed between them now dripping on the tile floor and mingling with the droplets of blood from the gruesome crime scene.

Her chest rose slightly, and then fell. She watched for another but there wouldn't be one. She shook her, gently at first, and then fiercely. "TERESA!" Alex screamed her name; not even a flinch. Teresa was gone, and there was no bringing her back.


End file.
